


Finding friendship, hope and… massage?

by SteveM



Series: Life after Crisis [16]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Batwoman (TV 2019), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:13:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23634397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveM/pseuds/SteveM
Summary: ia Smoak travels back to the past seeking someone to talk to about the new reality she’s suddenly faced with once her memories of life pre-Crisis are restored.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Kate Kane
Series: Life after Crisis [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623199
Comments: 12
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

In most cities an Airbus A380 flying just above the rooftops with no working engines would have been cause for concern. In National City people stopped what they were doing, looked up and cheered as they saw the familiar red cape flying in the wind. Supergirl grinned as she gently banked the huge aircraft in for a landing. This had been so difficult when she'd started out, barely managing to get the jet carrying Alex safely into the river. Now it felt simple, easy... almost natural.

She eased it down onto its landing gear and held the weight for a moment, making sure everything was locked in place before pulling away. She flew up to the cabin windows and the flight crew gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up as they sat back and relaxed for the first time in the last two hours. She turned and raced back into the city, swooping down to casually snag a pick pocket as he lifted a wallet. One moment he was casually moving away from his mark, wallet snug in his palm, the next he was standing in front of a police sergeant who was used to this sort of thing and grinning that nasty grin particular to sergeants the world over.

She glided in through her apartment window, sliding to a stop and cursing the little overnight bag she'd forgotten to tidy up as she tripped over it.

"Smooth."

Kara spun around, her eyes lighting up red as she looked for the intruder.

"Hey, woah, sorry, it's just me!" Mia Smoak said, getting up very, very slowly from the couch with her hands out to the side.

"Mia! Oh.. sorry, sorry about that."

"My fault." The future Green Arrow grinned sheepishly. "Should probably have known surprising Supergirl was a bad idea."

"No, it's not, I mean... shall we start this again?"

"Probably best."

"In that case.." Kara wrapped the shorter blonde in a big hug and, just for the hell of it, flew her up into the air. "It's good to see you!"

Mia laughed, slipped around so she was facing away from Kara and did a passable impression of a ship's figurehead. Kara cracked up and quickly brought them back to ground level before she lost her grip. 

"How do you ever keep your feet on the ground?" Mia said as she turned back to face the Girl of Steel.

"Why does everyone ask me that?"

"Because flying is awesome?"

Kara shook her head and chuckled. "Same reason you do, well, anything really. Because it's worth it."

"Sometimes I wonder..." Something dark passed across Mia's face and Kara picked up on it immediately.

"Mia... what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Oh really? Do you want me to tell you the... fifteen ways I know that's not the case?"

"No."

"Okay, then...." Kara led Mia to the couch and sat down pulling the young woman with her, wrapping her arms around her. "Then sit here and talk to me. What's wrong?"

"It's just... " Mia sighed and seemed to shrink in Kara's arms. "I miss my dad."

"Oh." Kara wasn't quite sure what to say so just held her.

"I... I mean, it hurts, all the time. And then my mom vanished and I'm finding myself taking on his name whether I want to or not and...." She stuttered to silence as a sob shook her shoulders. Kara shuffled round slightly to kiss her forehead and let her properly curl up into Kara's warmth. 

"It's okay Mia, let it out..." She whispered.

When Mia had run out of tears she looked up and gave Kara a weak smile. "I guess this is one way to end up in Supergirl's arms."

Kara smiled. "There's easier options."

Mia laughed, her voice catching in her throat but clearly starting to feel more normal. "I'm sorry but I just... I needed to talk to someone. And you knew them both and... " She hesitated for a moment, swallowed and rushed ahead. "I guess more than anything right now I need a little hope."

Kara smiled and thought for a moment. "Listen, can you give me five minutes to make a couple of calls then I'll be right back?"

"Sure." Mia still didn't sound like herself, Kara thought, smaller somehow, her usual confidence gone. She'd make this quick she decided, reaching for her phone and walking over to the kitchen area.

"Well this is a lovely surprise! Please tell me it's not a crisis." Kate said picking up on only the second ring.

"No, neither large or small c." Kara said with a grin she knew Kate would pick up on even if she couldn't actually see her. "But I need a favour."

"Anything, you know that."

"Can you meet me in Star City tonight? Oh, and book a hotel room for three?"

"Sure. Do I want to know why?"

"I'll keep you posted on that." Kara promised not yet knowing exactly which way this was going to go. "But pack extra grapples."

"You know if I didn't love and trust you absolutely and totally that would be a really worrying sentence."

"But you do so it's not." Kara laughed and heard Kate chuckle along with her.

"True. I'll get it done. Love you."

"Love you too." Kara said, hanging up and turning back to Mia who was still sitting on the couch looking like she didn't have a clue what to do next.

"Okay, so first thing's first." Kara said. "You look like you've got about a decade of stress trying to pound you into submission. Let's deal with that."

"Uh... how exactly?" Mia said with a worried look. "I mean, I've tried pretty much every de-stressing idea ever and nothing seems to work."

"Ah but now you've got me!" Kara winked and pointed at the bed. "Get over there, face down, top off please."

Mia practically sprinted to take her place, her heartbeat pounding like a drum. Kara took the opportunity to check Mia's body from the inside out and winced as she spotted the telltale stress patterns in her muscles. She slipped her glasses on to her face and felt the familiar rushing tingle as her suit melted away leaving her standing in the purple work dress she'd been sporting that morning. 

"Oooh, pretty!" Mia said, eying Kara hungrily. 

"Maybe but not practical." Kara said lightly. "Any preference or shall I just grab something a bit more appropriate?"

"Umm..." Mia suddenly blushed scarlet and Kara raised an eyebrow. "Uh... would you, I mean, if you wouldn't mind... could you put on the other super suit?"

Kara blinked, surprised at the request then with a blur of movement and a rush of wind she did a quick change into the familiar blue top, red cape and red skirt combo. As she wasn't planning on going anywhere she didn't bother with the tights and the boots stayed where they were too.

"Mmmm...." Mia whispered approvingly. "Don't get me wrong, the new suit is definitely better but my god you've got the legs for that skirt!"

Kara blushed at the compliment and with a slightly shy grin gave Mia a quick twirl that left the younger woman lost for words.

"Now this is going to feel a little.... weird." Kara warned her as she floated up to straddle Mia's slim waist. "Let me know if it's too much, alright?"

"Alright but I don't see... ohhhhhh my gooood." Mia groaned as Kara let fingers that could tear apart mountains start teasing out the first of her knots. "Holy sh..." The blonde felt her neck go limp as Kara applied inhuman precision to her work, fingers seemingly knowing where to go next down to the millimetre and exactly how much pressure to apply to work each little problem loose.

Mia’s hands twitched and her hips shifted from the pressure but it felt wonderful! Granted Kara's bare legs pressing against her didn't hurt on that front but to Mia's shock she realised she didn't really care. She was practically humming and it had nothing to do with the beautiful superhero literally riding her ass and everything to do with the way her muscles were being kneaded into a blissful relaxation for the first time in what felt like forever.

“Kara…” the Green Arrow groaned. “This… this is….. aahhhhoohhhhh yeahhhhh….” The last moan was to the small vibration Kara had used to tease a particularly reluctant spot into its proper shape, her fingers pulsing faster than any machine could have managed. She grinned as she saw Mia shudder and shake from the forces battering her reluctant muscles into submission. When she’d first done this for Kate she’d been so damn nervous she’d stopped four times, each one the result of a slightly over-enthusiastic groan from her partner. Now she had such a good feel for the likely result of her actions she felt like she was predicting the future with every move.

“Good?” She asked casually.

“M… m…. Mind bbblowing.” Mia said happily then whimpered as Kara started to spider her finger tips up and down Mia’s back, working smoothly over both sides of her spine. 

“Want to know the best part?”

“This… this isn’t it?”

“Nope.” Kara said joyfully. “This is the actual medical bit where I’m working out all the tension. Once that’s done we can get to the fun bit.”

Mia whimpered in happy horror at the thought she could feel better than she did right now and Kara patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. “Almost there, just your lower back to go. Uh…” She hesitated but there was no subtle way of asking this. “Do you… uh… do you have any problem with me touching your butt?”

“Absolutely no problem at all.” Mia murmured dreamily which gave way to a delighted groan as Kara started to knead the muscles on her waist, plotting a line around from hip to hip and, occasionally, straying to the top of her ass. As Kara finished up she couldn’t resist, just for a moment, putting both hands on the denim-covered globes and vibrating her fingertips. Mia eve a little “eep” of shock but even before she’d had time to process the unexpected feeling the squeak had turned into a groan and her hips were swaying from side to side.

“Right, now are you ready for the fun bit? Kara said casually as if momentary groping hadn’t happened.

“Oh you’re going to kill me…” Mia groaned.

“We can stop.”

“Don’t you dare!” Mia said quickly. From behind her there was an odd sound that she couldn’t quite place then impossibly warm hands landed on her back and started working their way down from her shoulders to her waist.

“Ohhh my god how are you…”

“Want to see?”

“Uh-hu.” Mia lifted her head as much as her limp muscles would allow and saw Kara’s fingers wiggling in front of her face. Suddenly blue beams shot past her ear and played over the Kryptonian’s skin… warming her hand with her heat vision, Mia realised with a jolt.

“That is so cool!” She said excitedly then collapsed back on to the bed as the recently heated hand slid down her side and across the small of her back.

“No, this is cool.” Kara said with a note of mischief in her voice. Mia gave a surprised squeak as something cool brushed across her skin. Not cold, just… cool, like the air wafting from a refrigerator rather than a freezer. A moment later the warm hands were back but the temperature difference made them feel more like a hot stone massage if stones were soft and silky smooth. Mia realised Kara was using her freeze breath only, just like her heat vision, she’d turned it way down, demonstrating a skill and control that was… well, that was actually a bit of a turn on she thought guiltily. 

Not that she had much room for thinking as Kara’s thorough journey all over her back, sides and even head did an incredibly effective job of not just melting away tension and stress but also her ability to have coherent thoughts. By the time she was done Mia was practically purring and looked so content with the world Kara figured they could make up an hour or two somewhere along the way and let her rest. She pulled a blanket up over the dozing figure and kissed the top of her head, the young woman smiling at the touch as she wormed into the sheets.


	2. Chapter 2

Kara floated over to the far side of the apartment so as not to make any noise and folded herself into a chair. She sent her mind racing back over the last few years, thinking about the times she’d found herself standing alongside Oliver Queen. It had been an odd relationship… and that was excluding seeing the evil version of him married to the evil version of her… but more than worthwhile. They’d respected and trusted each other, yes, but she’d seen him show time and again his skill as a warrior and as a leader he was usually tough but fair. Above all he’d been a good friend, even if he did tend to get in over his head occasionally. And then he’d sacrificed himself several times over. First for herself and Barry, then for the people of her Earth and then the entire Multiverse. 

How in the world did you distill all that down for a young woman who was still so new to this and had known her father for such a small amount of time? A young woman who, for that matter, was clearly still hurting over it and now her mother had gone too… What were the right words to help, to start the healing process and bring some sort of comfort. And why, for that matter, had Mia sought her out in particular? They were friends, of course, and thanks to Lena’s recent efforts they both had a pretty damn good idea of what the other looked like during sex. But they weren’t close, not in that way or any other, so why her?

Kara pondered those questions for the next hour while Mia slept peacefully in what, for her, felt like the safest place in the universe. Her phone pinged as Kate confirmed the plans for that night. Quietly Kara changed out of the old Supergirl suit, hanging it up carefully and picking out a practical but flattering jeans and t-shirt combo. Sliding her glasses onto her face she reluctantly knelt by the bed to gently shake the younger woman awake.

“Hmm?”

“Time to get up.” Kara said with a smile and was relieved to see it echoed on Mia’s face.

“Aww, do I have to?” Kara laughed at the blatant bratty behaviour, not least because she was pretty sure she now knew how Kate felt when Kara tried the same approach.

“Yes you do.” She said trying for stern and missing by a mile. “Come on, up or I’ll just strip the bed around you.”

“Sure you wouldn’t rather join me?” Mia asked and then went bright red. “Oh god! I’m.. I said that out loud, oh Kara I’m so, so sorry!”

Kara giggled and nodded. “You did, yes. And it’s fine. You should hear some of the stuff Kate’s come out with after a Super Massage! Also….” She reached out and gently moved Mia’s hands away from her face as she tried to hide away from the Girl of Steel. “I’m flattered and if I wasn’t, well, married you wouldn’t have needed to ask twice.”

“Really?” Mia’s voice was a small squeak, her eyes huge. 

“Really.” Kara said. “I mean… have you seen you?”

Mia blushed even brighter and Kara laughed. “Oh dear…”

“What?”

“Just remembering how embarrassed I used to be at that sort of compliment. Kate’s a bad influence.”

“Good influence, surely?” Mia replied, her confidence starting to seep back. 

“You might be right.” Kara admitted. “Now come on, we really do need to go and you need to get dressed.”

“Where are we going anyway?” Mia asked as Kara turned to give her some privacy as she pulled the top of her Green Arrow suit on. 

“Star City. I figured if we’re going to talk about your dad it should be there.”

“Yeah… yeah that makes sense. When do we have to be at the airport?”

“Oh we’re going first class, no airport needed.” Kara said, pulling off her glasses dramatically to make her super suit appear around her. Mia looked confused for a second then her eyes lit up.

“You mean… you’re flying? Flying us both there?”

“Yep.” Kara extended her arms and Mia took a running jump to land so Kara was carrying her bridal-style.

“Welcome aboard Supergirl airlines.” Kara quipped, giving the first time flyer time to get used to being held in her arms. “In the event of an emergency our passengers are encouraged to join in the ass kicking of anyone causing said emergency. If we make a water landing blame your pilot for not paying attention. Refreshments will not be served but we can stop off on request. Any questions?”

Mia snuggled closer, flexing to make sure her quiver and bow were tucked under Kara’s arm. “Nope. Ready for takeoff.”

“Alright, hang on and seriously, if you’re not comfortable at any point just say so. Here we go…” 

The flight to Star City was both shorter and longer than Mia expected and it wasn't until much, much later she realised how slowly Supergirl was flying to make sure her passenger was comfortable. Not that she really cared as the experience was a breathtaking mix of thrilling and terrifying that overrode everything else. Kara had picked out a landing spot on the roof of an office building next to a large clock tower that cast odd shadows across the otherwise open space. Perfect, Mia though with dawning realisation, for some privacy while still being immersed in the city around them. She was, however, a little surprised to see two deck chairs set up waiting for them.

"I called ahead" Kara said with a shrug. "You do enough rooftop conversations you start to appreciate being comfortable while you do so."

Mia laughed and took the offered seat, shifting to make sure she didn't catch her weaponry on the frame. Kara threw her cape over the back of the chair as she sat down, turning slightly with a scrape of metal to better face Mia.

"Okay, now, where do you want to start?"

Mia hesitated, a thousand answers pouring through her mind. Where on earth did you start with a tale as odd as this one? Did she even want to start at all? She'd kept it all inside for so long... but somehow she couldn't shut Kara out, those caring blue eyes and gentle smile easing the truth from her.

"It's... well... not that long ago I was a normal woman. Enjoying life, happily engaged, just graduated college and with my life stretching out in front of me. Then I get a whole other universe of memories zapped into me and now I'm also the daughter of the Green Arrow, trained in secret by the heir of the demon and I fought in the biggest battle in history alongside... well, heroes!" She gestured to Kara. "I remember my dad dying, fighting to get his soul back... I remember the moment before an anti-matter wave burnt me from the multiverse. Hell I know there was a multiverse!"

She paused, struggling for words. "My mom vanishes, like she stepped off the face of the Earth, and I'm expected to just pick up my dad's hood. And it's getting harder and harder to keep it all straight and most of the time it just feels like I'm drowning. And then I was standing on a roof... actually, just over there..." She pointed to an empty lot with the skeleton of a tower block starting to emerge from the soil. "And all of that stuff came crashing down on me and I don't know why but I thought of you and had my time courier with me so came here and... and here I am."

Kara reached out and took Mia's hand. "You don't know why you came to me?"

Mia shook her head, biting her lip as if trying to force a memory she may have forgotten. 

"Would you like me to take a guess?" Kara asked carefully and got a worried nod in return.

"I think you're looking for someone who can help you make sense of it all. Who might have some idea how much it can hurt to lose everything... and who may be able to help you figure out how to move past it."

Mia just nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Okay... first thing, in case it gets lost in the mix. I knew you dad, I knew your mom... and if there's one thing I am absolutely certain about it's that they loved you. More than anything. I never got the chance to ask them about you but if you were raised in secret it could only be to protect you."

Kara's eyes flickered for a moment as she looked back into her own past. "Sometimes... sometimes the universe asks us questions with no good answer. When that happens all we can ever do is make the best choice we can. My last memory of my parents is watching them through the window of my pod as they sent me away, the planet in flames around us. I used to think it was my fault, that somehow I got them killed. Then I blamed them for abandoning me, wished I'd died there with them. It wasn't until I started doing this..." She trapped the coat of arms on her chest. "... that I realised the truth. Sometimes there's no way to win. Not completely, not how you'd want."

"Which, I'm guessing, is likely what's really bothering you. The idea that you could have done more to save Oliver, could have stopped him dying or brought him back?"

Mia gave her a sharp look and Kara held up her hands. "No tricks, promise. Just a long history of thinking very similar thoughts and recognising that look."

Mia sighed and seemed to slump further into the chair, her already slight frame suddenly looking small and fragile. "Yeah. I literally stood in front of the devil and all we got from him was a travel pass to purgatory. I could have, should have..."

"Okay, hang on! First up, the devil? The actual devil?"

"According to him, yeah. Lucifer Morningstar."

"So... horns and hooves?"

"Actually British accent, well tailored suit and cute in a monumentally smug and annoying way."

"Huh.... why is that somehow not surprising? Anyway, sorry, back on track to the second point. Are you actually saying you should have made a deal with the literal devil to save Oliver?"

"Yes! Well, alright, no but there had to be something more I could have done."

"Mia..." Kara hesitated, hating herself for what she was about to do but not seeing another way. "Oliver knew what was coming. He was just about the only one of us that did. He knew and he still chose to make the sacrifices he did. If he hadn't I'm pretty sure us six paragons..."

"Six, I thought there were seven?" Mia broke in, curious.

"There were but the day I consider Lex Luthor as the Paragon of Truth is scheduled for sometime after the heat death of the universe."

"Oh, fair enough. Sorry for interrupting."

"I'm pretty sure us six paragons and one bald jerk would have been stuck at the vanishing point until that got blown out from under us as well. No universe reboot, no victory over the anti-monitor, none of it would have happened if Oliver hadn't become the Spectre."

"I still should have done something!"

"No." Kara said and Mia looked up in shock not at the word but at the voice. In a moment the hopeful, optimistic Kara she knew was gone and in her place was someone very different. Someone who'd seen loss beyond most people's understanding, who'd endured all the the heartbreak the universe could dish out and was still standing.

"No. You did what you could and that's all you can ever do. Go down that path of what-if and if-only and you'll end up in a very dark place. You might not be able to find your way back."

Suddenly Mia flashed back to a brief moment she'd caught a glimpse of before Kara and Kate had gone to Apokolips. She'd been embarrassed at the time as she'd known it was a private moment and hadn't meant to intrude even from afar but didn't know the details. Now she saw Kate's face clear as day, the sympathy etched in her eyes after talking to Bruce as she'd come up to Kara, taken her hand and whispered something in her ear. Pain, Mia thought, but not for herself. Pain for what she'd realised Kara had been through and... and what, Mia thought quickly. Reassurance, it had to be, a promise that she wasn't alone despite them getting ready to travel to what had sounded like hell.

"Is that, I mean, do you...?"

Kara nodded and she somehow seemed to be more real than the world around her, dragging the eye towards her. "Too often and too far. All these powers, all these gifts and it feels like I still can't save everyone. And I think, every day, about changing that. Of stopping the stupidity and evil in the world, of doing what 'needs to be done' for the greater good. Then I remember why I can't and where that road leads. I've seen what that version of me would be like, how cruel and unfeeling I could be if I fell from what can seem like a very, very narrow path at times."

Mia was silent for a moment. "Maybe that's the other part of this." she said slowly. "I mean I stood with, with legends and heroes and, well, you! And I really, really don't know why I was there!"

"You don't?" Kara said, surprised despite herself. "How many did you save on Earth 38 with every arrow you fired? Hell I saw you save your dad at least a couple of times during one fight alone! You had as big a part to play as any paragon Mia Smoak and don't you dare forget it!" The last was said with a dazzling smile and just like that Kara was back to the woman Mia had thought she knew.

"But I've got no powers!"

"Neither did Oliver. Kate certainly doesn't unless you include being able to make any woman bi-curious at fifty paces."

"But she's, she's Batwoman!" Mia protested. "All I am is the daughter of a hero with a costume!"

"Actually... about that..." Kara said with a slightly guilty grin. "Did Ollie teach you how to use the zip line arrows?"

"Of course. Wait, why?"

"Because Star City will always be the home of the Green Arrow." The unexpected interruption came from the shadow cast by the big clock tower across the roof. The darkness moved and Batwoman seemed to appear as if from thin air. "And it's always good to remember where you come from." 

Mia had what Kara could only think of as a fangirl moment and the Kryptonian had to fight hard not to laugh as she saw Mia step forward to hug Kate only for Batwoman to tap the cowl. 

"Oh, oh right, sorry, forgot." Mia said apologetically. "Cowl on, all business, got it."

Batwoman nodded then winked in Mia's direction with a grin that the criminals of Gotham had definitely never seen. 

"Damn that's a cool look..." Mia muttered and Kara doubted anyone else but her would have caught the smug glint in Kate's eyes as she glanced in her direction. Not that Kara disagreed with the assessment of course but come on, who didn't look cool in black? 

"So, uh, you two want to go on patrol?" Mia asked, trying to get her professional face on. 

"Kinda." Kara said and stepped off the roof, hanging in the air while making sure she was in a slight updraft to make her cape float and flare. She saw Kate roll her eyes at the blatant showing off and reached out to Mia. "We thought... well, we know how painful it can feel to be a hero alone and thought you might want to know you've got friends."

"Partners." Batwoman added placing a hand on Mia's shoulders. "Who'll be there for you when you need them no matter what. If you trust us of course..."


	3. Chapter 3

Mia looked from one to the other. "Always!" She grabbed Kara's hand and without hesitation stepped forward, perching on Kara's foot never showing a moment of fear.

"Glad to hear it." Kara said gently then threw them both hurtling down the side of the building, flipping Mia around so she was dropping alongside the girl of steel with nothing but one strong arm wrapped around her shoulders to keep her aloft. Time seemed to slow down and Mia glanced to her right and found Batwoman dropping with them, her arms pulled in, a torpedo heading for the ground below.

As if on some unseen signal both Supergirl and Batwoman pulled out of their dives, Batwoman flaring her cape and gliding on the wind as easily as breathing. Mia went up with Supergirl, her stomach churning from the rapid change in direction but still there was no fear just pure, unburdened joy. Supergirl shot upwards, racing for the heavens, Mia alongside her until at the top of arc she threw the Green Arrow upwards.

For a handful of seconds Mia escaped gravity, pulling her arms in just like she'd seen Batwoman do, robbing precious moments from the universe as she flew upwards. At the top of her arc she tucked her legs, rolling forwards and throwing her arms out to the side. Sure enough Supergirl swooped in from above and wrapped herself around the falling archer. They raced back towards the ground and Mia made out the dark shape of Batwoman gliding among the rooftops. 

They lined up and Kara released her to drop into perfect formation alongside the Dark Knight. Of course she didn't have a cape to glide with so she kept falling but Batwoman matched her, holding the formation. Once again she looked to her right and now it was Supergirl pacing them and giving her an encouraging nod.

With a whoop of delight Mia unslung her bow and fired off a zip line arrow. She watched it race through the night, felt it hit and bite, the cable yanking her up into a quick arc, her partners racing to match her. She waited, taking all of the height she could before releasing, tumbling gracefully through the skies as she looked for her next target. Spotting a likely support beam on a construction site she loosed another arrow.

This time as she rose Supergirl and Batwoman didn't just match her, they shot around her. Batwoman had her own cable attached to the beam, this one from a handheld grapple gun, her cape flapping behind her as she rolled so closely to Mia the blonde archer would swear she felt something brush her nose. Supergirl, free of the need for mechanical assistance, mirrored the move underneath them, twisting as she did so to resume her rightful place in the formation just as they released the cables, rolled once and landed perfectly on the beam. 

High up and unseen the Green Arrow stood looking over what would become her city flanked by the World’s Finest… unseen, that is, by all but a young girl several blocks away who had been off school for a week with the flu and, bored out of her mind, was playing with her brother’s telescope. Supergirl heard the quiet gasp, the squeak of a worn ball bearing and tilted her head to look in that direction. She spotted the open-mouthed girl and waited until she was sure she’d focused on them then winked at the lens of the telescope, her left hand giving a mostly-hidden wave in that direction for good measure.

"Wow... wow wow wow." Mia had to stop herself from dancing with delight, mainly because there was a few hundred feet of empty air beneath her. "That was awesome! Thank you!"

"Our pleasure." Batwoman said. "Don't make us wait so long for the next time."

"I... I won't." Mia stammered. 

"Talking of which..." Kara said. "We're hoping this isn't presumptuous but, well.. we don't have all the answers or anything but if you ever need advice or training or, well, anything really all you've got to do is ask."

"Thank you." Mia said blinking back tears. "My dad was right when he said you were the best of us."

"I mean he's not wrong, she is." Batwoman put in proudly. "But you need to know that as much as we respect and miss Ollie we're not doing this for him Mia. We're doing it for you."

"Me?"

"You." Batwoman stepped in close and lowered her voice. "Look I know how hard it can be in this company, just a regular human standing alongside aliens, meta-humans... gods." She cast a quick look at Kara on the last one and got an embarrassed but happy blushing smile in return. "But you absolutely deserve to be standing here, now, with the rest of the League!”

"I... thank you.... and I don't know what it could possibly be but if you ever need me just call."

"Actually, about that..." Batwoman said and Mia would swear she looked... embarrassed? Surely not...

"We could do with your help on a rather, uh, sensitive subject." Kara said.

"And that is?"

The two caped heroes glanced at each other and Batwoman made a 'go ahead' gesture.

"Well... Lena's birthday is coming up and she's been a bit down lately…"

“And Green is her favourite colour.” Batwoman added as Kara pressed a large silver and black bow on to the front of Mia’s costume.

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as part of the Support Group series but I kinda fell in love with that trip through Star City for Green Arrow Mk2 with the World's Finest and didn’t want to put it behind an explicit tag. Think that was the right call, the fun and flirty feel seems to fit better here anyway.
> 
> Next up, if all goes according to plan, the second ‘season’ of my Supergirl / Batwoman canon picking up from the Life After Crisis series. Really looking forward to getting some of that out there, even if I’m genuinely nervous about if I can deliver on this one..
> 
> I also have one small favour to ask if I may. As the UK huffs politely under lockdown my own circumstances have me very much on my own and ludicrously busy keeping a few thousand people working and safe. If you enjoy this (or, indeed, any of my work here) I'd really appreciate a quick comment. Sorry to ask, always feels wrong somehow, but it'd mean a lot right now.


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